Behind the Mask
by PinkSweets14
Summary: Rin is the school's biggest slut. Everyone knows she always gets what she wants, when she wants it. But her whole image is a facade. A mask. When Len is paired with her to do a history project, he begins to see pieces of her mask break and crumble away. Can he remove it completely and expose the girl behind the mask?
1. The Project

**Chapter 1**

I'm drifting asleep again, aren't I? I know it because, suddenly, there are dancing hippos playing trumpets behind the teacher. Oh sweet Jesus. Len, why did you go to sleep at 4 o'clock in the morning last night?

"Miss, may I be excused to go to the bathroom?" a sickeningly sweet voice asks. I glance up quickly to make sure the teacher isn't glaring at me and turn in the direction of said voice.

Standing up at her desk is Rin, the school's biggest slut. I can see all of the boys drooling. I'm not even joking. Mikuo sits beside me a there is drool coming out of his mouth.

The teacher nods at her and Rin skips out. I do mean literally. Her skirt is hiked up way too short, so skipping is lethal. I look back down at the doodles on my page before I can see anything that might spoil my innocence.

Finally, the bell rings. I stand up quickly, grab my books and leg it out of the room. As I walk into the cafeteria, I eye the coffee machine. Maybe one quick cup. I shake those thoughts of doom and walk over to my group of friends. Miku, Luka, Kaito and Gakupo. We've been friends since forever, when we were in preschool. It's noice having friends so close.

Luka looks up from her book when I sit down and smiles. She turns her head to face Kaito as he babbles on about something irrelevant. Luka clearly thinks so too as she raises an eyebrow but let him talk.

"Hey, Len. Did you _see _Rin in class this morning?" Miku asks, giggling. I shake my head, recalling that this morning I was 10 minutes late because I overslept, tripped on the stairs, slipped on the wet floor and then burst into the classroom, only to indure many looks of pure confusion, joy, amusement and one of anger (from the teacher). I then fell asleep in the back of the classroom. Yeah, this morning really wasn't to great for me.

Miku rolls her eyes. "Oh yeah, you fell asleep." Crap, she knows.

"Anyways," she continues, "She kept dropping her pencil on the ground and then leaning over the table to reach it. That girl knows no shame!"

"Can we please stray off of the topic of Rin? It puts me off my sandwiches," Luka says, using her fancy vocab to impress people. Well, she doesn't do it intentionally but it doesn't help Kaito's drooling. He thinks no one knows that he likes her but it so goddamn obvious!

"Len, have you decided who you're doin' the history project with?" Gakupo asks.

Shit! I forgot about that. I rub the back of my head awkwardly. "Um... No?"

Gakupo rolls his eyes as if he expected that answer. "Well, Ice-cream and Tuna are together. Me and Leeks are together too. You're going to have to be put with whoever the teacher chooses," he says, using everyone's nicknames. His is Eggplants and mine is Bananas.

We eat our lunch, sharing stories and laughter. Suddenly, the room goes quiet and everyone starts to stare at the door. I look over quickly. Walking in is... Rin. Rin and her gang of whores. Haku, Meiko and Gumi. But Rin rules them. They buzz around her as if she's a flower and they're a load of bees.

I roll my eyes and look back at my friends. Kaito and Gakupo are also staring at her. Miku glares a glare of death at Gakupo (she can be really scary when she wants). Luka picks up her book, frowning and muttering something like: "Tch, typical."

Rin and her friends walk over to a table and sit down. I can see some of the boys trying to discreetly leave their own table and sit with them. I have to laugh at them. People can be so desperate.

Miku finally loses her cool and punches Gakupo. Hard. "Wake up, Dipshit! God, you're _my _best friend, why are you staring at _her_?!"

Gakupo shakes his head and wakes up from his daydream. He looks over at Miku and grins at her. "You jelly?"

Miku wrinkles her nose and turns her back to him, facing me. "No, stupid!" Her face is going red. She sneaks a look over at Luka and Kaito. Kaito's trying to play it off as if he didn't stare at Rin for two minutes but Luka is having none of it. When ever he asks her something, she replies with, "Go google it." She only uses that sentence when she's pissed.

The bell goes and everyone stands up and starts to leave. Luka grabs her book and stomps off. Kaito follows her, trying to apologize. Gakupo rolls his eyes and follows them.

Miku grabs my arm, links it around her's and we walk to class. Five seconds is all it takes before Miku launches into her speech.

"I hate her so much! She's such a slut! Why can't all of those boys see it! My brother is always drooling over her, following her like a lost puppy. It's sick! Why can't there be more guys like you Len? You're so understanding and caring and... and... stuff! It makes me sick to my stomach!"

I let her rant, responding with the occasional "Mhm" and "Yeah" and "I know" and sometimes just nodding. Miku's so caught up in her hatred for Rin she doesn't notice.

We finally get to history and I remember that I don't have a partner. The teacher's going to have to pair me with someone.

When we walk in, Kaito is still trying to apologize to Luka. Gakupo waves Miku over and I go to sit at my desk at the back. The teacher walks in and claps her hands.

"Okay! Everyone get into their pairs and decided on a topic for the history project!"

Everyone but me, Mikuo, Rin and a girl called IA pair up. Wait _RIN _doesn't have a partner?! Is this some kind of practical joke or is the apocolapse happening?

The teacher comes over and claps her hands. "Okay," she says, "Well, it's an even number so that's good... Let's see..."

Please put me with Mikuo, please, please, please, please...

"Mikuo, you go with IA and Rin and Len, you two can work together. Chop chop, time waits for no one!"

Mikuo shoots me a dirty glare and walks off to his table with IA, leaving me with Rin. Wait...

RIN?!


	2. The Brother

**Chapter 2**

Rin sits over at my desk and stares at me. I'm still frozen, my mind swimming with excuses to use so I don't have to be with Rin. Anyone else, I could have swallowed it up and said 'It's only a month. Just do it.' But this time, it's a month with RIN! God, Miku's going to _kill _me.

"Hey, blondie. You gonna sit down or just stay staring at the wall?" I turn around and see that Rin has already made herself comfortable. She's slouched back in the chair, feet crossed at my desk and smacking gum loudly. She smiles slyly when I sit down and takes her feet off the table. She rests her head in her hand and looks at me with half-lidded eyes.

"Don't think I know you. Would have remembered," she says in a ridiculously seductive voice.

I shoot her a glare and point a finger at her face. "Look, I don't want to work with you. I don't want to have anything to do with you. But I have no choice." I lean close to her face, whispering this part in a deadly tone. "If you dare try pull anything on me, I will see to it personally that your pretty face is erased quickly." I pull back and narrow my gaze on her again.

Rin tries to appear nonchalant about what I just said but fear passes through her eyes and I didn't miss it. "Fine then. Your loss."

I grumble under my breath as I take out my copy. I write 'History Project' in the middle and draw a big circle around it. I turn to Rin, who is staring out into space, blowing bubbles with the chewing gum.

"What are we going to-"

"I still don't know your name," she interrupts. Oh Rin, how I would love to keep it that way! Unfortuantley, life's a bitch and really did not take pity on me. I mean, I was 10 minutes late because I overslept, tripped on the stairs, slipped on the wet floor and then burst into the classroom, only to indure many looks of pure confusion, joy, amusement and one of anger (from the teacher). I then fell asleep in the back of the classroom. Then I was paired with Rin Kagamine. Oh Life, why doth thou hate me so?!

"Len Utatane," I mumble.

She nods and looks at the page. "Rin Kagamine," she murmurs back.

"I know," I growl. I pick up the pen and begin writing out ideas myself. Rin just watches. Yes, it is a project that should be done in pairs and, yes, maybe I am being a bit harsh. But I don't care. This girl really pisses me off with her 'I'm-so-pretty-I-can-do-what-I-want-and-get-what-I -want-when-I-want-it' attitude.

Eventually, I have about five ideas written out. I turn to Rin who is examining her nails. "We need to go to one of our houses to get started on this thing. My parents are having a party this weekend so we'll go over to your house, okay?" I don't even wait for her answer before I stand up and walk out of the room, the bell for hometime ringing in the background. Rin stays in the seat, staring at her hands, before getting up and running down the hall in the opposite direction.

At my locker, Miku is waiting for me, leaning her head against the locker. She looks up and smiles at me before sensing the pure rage eminating from me. "Len, what happened?" she asks, concerned.

I try really hard not to glare at her and mumble, "Tell you later." Then I slam the door open, grab my books and slam it close again. I stuff the books into my bag viciously and stomp down the hall. Miku has to jog to keep up with me.

When we reach the gates, I can see Kaito, Luka and Gakupo talking. It appears Luka has calmed down and is talking to Kaito again. They see Miku and I and wave but stop when they see my expression. Gakupo raises an eyebrow, Kaito gives me a suspicious look and Luka frowns. Miku is wearing an expression of pure confusion.

"Who pissed in your lunch?" Kaito asks, requesting the death wish. I glare at him and raise my fists, desperate to punch something. Luka quickly puts herself between us and grabs my fists with her hands. Her hand comes down on my cheek as she slaps me. Hard.

"Len! Calm down!"

"I will not calm down! I am seething with raaage!" I yell back at her, which is a first for me. I'm usual quite level headed towards Luka.

"Just tell us what's making you so unhappy and we'll fix it!" Miku says desperatly. She hugs me from the side, murmuring stuff about calmness and peace and zen. I take deep breaths and slouch, giving Miku a small hug back.

"I'm sorry for scaring you Miku. I'm sorry for yelling at you Luka. I'm sorry for trying to hit you Kaito. And I'm sorry for stealing your eggplants back in middle school Gakupo."

"It's okay- Wait you did WHAT?!"

I ignore Gakupo's rant and let my eyes wander. They land on the yellow school bus that is about to take off. There's only a few people left to get on. One is Rin. She's looking around, waiting to get on. I watch her bring her hand up to her face and wipe away something near her eyes. Her gaze lands on me. I glare at her and she jumps, drooping her head low so I can't see her face. She gets on the bus quickly and sits on the opposite side so I can't see her. I turn back to my friends to see that they are still waiting for an answer.

"I was paired with Rin Kagamine for the history project," I say calmly. As I expected, Miku explodes.

"WHAT?! Rin Kagamine?! As in _THE _Rin Kagamine?! Len, we are marching back into that classroom and we're going to sort this out. You can go with Mikuo instead!"

Luka takes hold of her shoulders in hope to calm her down. "Miku, he can't do that. Whoever the teacher puts you with is final. Unless there is a solid reason, such as bullying, they will not sway their decision," she explains.

Miku frowns but she drops the discussion. She mumbles a goodbye and then starts her walk home. Gakupo follows her, running backwards and waving. Luka and Kaito depart together, waving and smiling. I take my bike from beside the wall and mount it. I cycle back home, cursing Rin under my breath.

My house is... average. There's no other way to describe it. It's in a small avenue off the side of the main road. There are three bedroom and three bathrooms, a kitchen, sitting room, play room and a fairly nice sized backyard.

When I pull up to the house, I see a silver car parked in the driveway. I grin to myself and push the bike around the back. I use my house key to get into the back door and walk into the kitchen. Standing next to the cooker is my older brother, Piko. He turns and sees me and grins a grin ten times as broad as the one I'm wearing. I run towards him, giving him a hug. Piko laughs and ruffles my hair.

"Sup, li'l bro! How long has it been?"

"Five months," I answer, letting him go. Piko's job requires him to move around a lot. He very rarely comes home, which sucks for me because I'm the only other child in the house. Mom and Dad work in the police force and have very irregular hours so it gets very boring for me.

Piko turns back to the cooker and curses. "I was gonna make some kind of fancy dinner thing that Miki showed me how to do, but I can't use this fucking thing!" He kicks the cooker with his foot, which must have hurt because he starts jumping up and down, holding his foot. I can't help but laugh.

Piko walks over to the table and gestures for me to sit down. "So? How's life for my li'l bro?" he asks.

I groan loudly, remembering the stupid project and my stupid partner. I tell Piko about Rin, her reputation, me forgetting to find a partner for the history teacher and then the teacher putting us together.

Piko lets out a long whistle a reclines in the chair. "This girl sounds like a handful. Is she really that bad?"

"The worst. Thinks she's on top of the world all the time and that everyone's below her and will follow her anywhere. It's so frustrating! And I have to work with her for a week!" I rant, putting my head in my hands.

"Well, li'l bro, the best advice I can give you is just ignore her. Just focus on the project and get it out of the way fast. Faster it's done, less time you have to spend with her." He thinks for a moment and adds, "Who knows, maybe she ain't so bad. Though it's a long shot..."

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	3. The House

**Chapter 3**

I walk into school the next day, dragging my feet. I told Rin that we'd have to go to her house because my parents would be having a party. Which they would. I figure we'd go on the bus and her house would be some huge fancy mansion. I can imagine her mother being someone who looks just as young, if not younger, than her daughter and her father being the really doting type. Oh jeez, this is going to be hell.

When I walk into homeroom, I take my usual seat beside Miku and behind Kaito and Gakupo. Luka sits in front of them, beside a girl called Teto. As far as I know, they're cousins but they don't get along to well.

Miku gives me her usual grin when I sit down and Kaito and Gakupo turn around to face me. I smile back at them, feeling a little embarrassed about my meltdown yesterday. That girl really infuriates me. Speaking of which, where is she? Gumi, Meiko and Haku are already here, giggling and examining their nails, oblivious to the fact that their queen bee is not there. Shaking my head, I tune back into the conversation that Miku, Kaito and Gakupo are having.

"-I was like, 'Woah, too far bro!' Expect I didn't say that. Nor did I sound like that," Kaito's saying. What kind of converstaion did I get caught up in?

Gakupo shakes his head and Miku stiffles a giggle. "I don't know Kaito, maybe you're taking this too far. It's only for today."

"Only today?! Do you hear yourself?! Dad didn't allow Mom to pack any ice-cream for lunch today because I was half an hour late from school! How would you like it if I banned your beloved eggplants for a day, huh?!" Of course. The only thing Kaito concerns himself is with godforsaken ice-cream. I roll my eyes as Kaito and Gakupo begin to argue about the importance of ice-cream and eggplants. Miku turns to me with a slight smile on her face.

"So, anything happen when you went home, Len?"

"Piko's back from America. He's staying at home for the next month," I say, a grin spreading over my face. Miku claps her hands together, jumping up and down in her seat.

"Oh, that's _great_! Piko's such a good brother, I wish Mikuo was more like him." She shot Mikuo a death glare. It was completely wasted as he was too busy staring at Meiko, Gumi and Haku. Pity, it was a good one too.

Suddenly, the door bursts open and Rin runs in. The first thing I notice is her expression. It isn't her usual flirty one. Her eyebrows are furrowed and her eyes look red, as if she was crying. Then I notice her appearence. Even thought the usual short skirt is hiked up and her hair is smoothed out, her shirt looks like it hasn't been ironed and her makeup hasn't been applied. Rin composes herself and sashays over to her friends, who are to dumb to notice anything wrong with her.

The teacher follows her in minutes after and sits down at her desk. The room goes quiet. We go through the usual proceedures and are excused to go to our next class.

...

I plonk myself down beside Luka and take out my lunch. Banana sandwich, packet of crisps, a nutrition bar and a bottle of orange juice. I begin to eat, while Kaito stares at his lunch, hoping maybe some ice-cream might pop up in it. Luka takes one look at his pitiful expression and rolls her eyes, taking out a tub and two spoons. She pokes Kaito with one of them and hands him the tub.

"It was my fault that you didn't get you're share of ice-cream. As an apology, I bought some for you this morning. It's chocolate and vanilla. You can have it but I want some too!"

Kaito stares at her, mouth agape. I'd say if the table wasn't in the way, he would have jumped up and hugged her so tightly she might have died. Instead, he gives her a ginormous grin and opens the tub, digging the spoon in and taking a bite. He grins at her again, giving her a thumbs up.

"Luka, this is delicious. Thank you, thank you, thank! I love you so much!"

He continues to eat and Luka smiles, a small blush on her face. I can't help but grin.

"Uh oh," Miku says suddenly. "Slut at 12 o'clock, heading our way."

I turn around to see Rin making her way through the cafeteria. In her hands, she's clutching a piece of paper. When she reaches the table, she gives us a weak smile.

"Hi Miku. Luka. Kaito. Gakupo," she says, addressing each with a small nod. Miku glares, Luka forces a smile and Kaito and Gakupo just kinda stare. I turn to her, glaring slightly.

"U-Um, Len... T-This is my address. You're coming to my house to work on the project, right?" I nod and she hands me the paper. On it, an address is written in sloppy handwriting

_Beech Lane,_

_Block 7,_

_4B_

"I-I, uh... D-Do you mind coming about an hour after school finishes? I-I'll need to clean up a bit," she stutters. I nod and turn to face her, forcing a smile. Piko told me that yelling and kicking up a storm was not the way to go. 'Just stick it out with a smile,' he said. Rin bows slightly and runs back to her table.

Miku scowls deeply once she's gone. "Playing the shy card, are we? I wonder if she actually has to clean up or if she just doesn't want to be seen with Lenny. I mean, doesn't she live in a big mansion? Doesn't she have maids who do that kind of shit? Clean up, my eye," she mutters.

...

"Piko, this can't be right."

I'm sitting in the passenger seat of Piko's silver car, in front of, what he seems to think is, Rin's house. Everyone says she lives in a big mansion. But I'm in front of a crummy looking set of apartments. We're not even in the poor part of town, we're in the freaking 'no money at _all_' part of town.

Piko sighs and looks at the note that Rin gave me earlier. "Nope, this is it. Beech lane, block 7. Her apartments probably 4B. Li'l bro, I know this town like the back of my hand."

I sigh and get out of the car. "Wait for me," I tell him and walk up to the intercom. I decide to call on resisdent 4B and see if it's really Rin.

I press the button and hear the buzzer go off. "Yeah?" a bored, depressed voice answers.

I swallow and clear my throat putting my mouth a little closer to the intercom. "Um, does Rin Kagamine live here?"

There's a small gasp and the person fumbles for an answer. "O-Oh, y-yeah... C-Come right up..." A little click indicates that they hung up.

Still shocked, I walk back to the car in a daze. Piko leans forward, one arm on the wheel. "Well?" he asks.

I motion for him to give me my bag. He grins and shoves it at me. "Told you I was always right," he says, starts the engine and drives off, waving at me. I sling the bag over one shoulder and walk into the apartment block.

This place is a complete dump. The walls are an awful shade of murky green and the wallpaper is peeling off. In the reception is a cheap sofa, a small table with a vase of dead flowers and a painting of the town in 1896. There is no lift so I have to walk up using the stairs.

The condition of the building gets worse and worse each floor you hit. When I reach floor 4, Rin's floor, there is mould growing in the corners of the hall, large spiderwebs and their terrifying owners glaring at me and at least four leaks. I walk up to the door that has _4B _written in rusty gold letters. I hesitate, shuffle my feet and give a loud clear knock on the door. There is a rustling sound inside and the door opens slightly. A blue eye stares at me and then the door opens fully.

Standing in front of me is a girl who looks remarkable similar to Rin Kagamine. But this girl hasn't got ten layers of make-up plastered on to her face. She isn't wearing a short skirt that has been hiked up to make it even shorter. Her hair hasn't been straightened and teased up at the back. This girl is wearing a pair of jeans, a plain white t-shirt and a pair of socks. Her hair has been tied back in a ponytail and her eyes look dead and dull.

"Welcome to my house. Come in," says Rin, in a tone that is just as dead as her eyes.

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	4. The Other Persona

**Chapter 4**

Rin leads me into the house, closing the door behind me. My mouth almost falls open at the state it was in. There's a small kitchen that consisted of a fridge, a sink and a microwave. Everything looks like it was from 1960. In the same room, there is a single radiator and a sofa made out of cardboard boxes. There is a small hallway with two doors. The walls are painted the same green as in the reception and are also falling apart. The floorboards are wooden, old and creaky.

"Delightful place, isn't it?" Rin says bitterly. I turn to look at her. Her eyes have glazed over and she smiles resentfully. I find myself almost wishing for her to go back to her flirty, slutty self. I don't like this side of Rin. This nasty, hostile side of her.

"You could have told me. We could have gone to my house," I whisper.

Rin scoffs at me, rolling her eyes. "Like you would have believed me. And other people might have overheard me tell you. And I don't trust you, Len Utatane."

"You realise I can just tell everyone tomorrow, don't you?" I counter. She flinches a little, but her eyes remain cold.

"But no one would belive you. I get off at a stop in front of a big mansion, about 30 minutes from here, despite the fact that the bus has a stop just down the road. Then, in the morning, I wake up early to walk down to the mansion. Everyone thinks I live there."

I raise an eyebrow, slightly confused. "Isn't that a lot of hastle?" I ask.

She shrugs, smiling coldly. "Price you have to pay to keep your image. Now, are we going to do the project or what?"

I nod and follow her down the hall. "Where are your parents?" I ask suddenly. Her hand freezes over the doorknob and her breath hitches.

"They're out. Not back till late," she says quickly. She opens the door and coughs a little, trying to cover up her uncomfortablness. Her room is smaller than a box cuboard. There's a single bed, a bedside locker and a build-in wardrobe. I walk over to it and open the wardrobe. In it is her uniform; a white shirt, yellow and black tie and a skirt; and a few more pairs of the same white t-shirt and jeans. The only shoes she has is her school ones. I look back at her to see her looking at me impatiently.

"How long are you going to admire my house for?" she snaps. Her voice is harsh and makes me flinch a bit. A smirk finds its way to her face. "I know it's absolutley fabulous and you're super jelly but please, contain yourself."

She flings herself onto the bed. It creaks under her weight, which is pretty bad because Rin is as skinny as a twig. I don't think it could hold both of our weights, so I sit on the floor and fire my copy onto the bed.

We work on brainstorming ideas for awhile. I do most of the suggesting while Rin mumbles a 'no' or 'sure' and writes. It must be a full hour since I walked into her decripited house. Eventually, she sits up, stretches and checks her watch.

"It's six now. What time are your parents collecting you at?"

"Oh no, my brother's going to be collecting me."

Her eyes go wide and she gives me a betrayed look. I realise that she thinks Piko might be in the school and tell her secret.

"No, no! Piko's not in our school, he left two years ago," I hastily explain. Rin sighs and drops her head, her hair covering her face.

"What you said earlier, about you telling everyone... You won't, will you?... Len..?"

I look at her with harsh eyes. I don't like this girl. I don't like the way she feels like she can look down on the male population, like they're toys for her. I don't like the way she has the male population wrapped around her little finger, ready to chew up and spit out. I don't like this girl full stop. But...

I can't bring myself to say that I'm going to tell everyone.

Rin may be the biggest slut I've ever met but one look at her home, her casual outfits and her cold attitude shows that there is a lot more going on underneath. She's not just Rin. She's a girl who has many different layers.

I swallow and nod. "Yeah, I won't tell."

She exhales a sigh of relief and smiles from behind her hair. "Thanks..."

The doorbell rings suddenly and Rin jumps off of the bed. She flies down the hall and I follow her. When she reaches the intercom, she presses the button and hesitantly answers in a depressed, lonely tone. "Yeah?"

"Does Rin live here?" a voiec says. I reconize it as Piko's voice.

Rin doesn't know and panic crosses her face. "W-Who is this..?" she asks, scared. Her hand begins to pull at the collar of her t-shirt as she gulps. She is really terrified that someone is going to find out where she lives.

"I'm Piko, Lenny's bro. He is up there, ain't he?" Piko answers.

"Y-Yeah, I'll send him down-"

"No, no! I wanna come up and have a gander. See ya in ten secs, tops!" The intercom makes a loud 'clack' sound.

Rin turns around to me and lets out a long sigh. She slouches against the door before looking at me. "You should probably grab your stuff," she says curtly. I nod, not wanting to start an argue with her. I run back into her small room and grab my bag, stuffing my books in quickly. I walk back into the corridor. There is this door, one to the bathroom and one more. What's in the other door. I walk over to it, trying to be as queit as possible. I reach out, grab the handle and-

"Len! Hurry up!"

Shoot. I give the door one last look and walk back down the hall. Piko's leaning against the door. I look over at Rin to find her... smiling. Not a flirtatious, sly one. A happy one. I look back at Piko to find him grinning too. Of course.

"Sup li'l bro! Come on, Mum and Pops want us back," Piko says, flashing a grin at me. He walks out the door, leaving me with Rin.

"I-I uh..." Shit, more words. I don't know whether to apoligise for being too rash on judging her or just say bye and walk out. Turns out, I didn't have to anything. Rin pushes me out the door, mutters a quick 'bye' and shuts it behind her. Geez, rude.

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	5. The Invitation

**Chapter 5**

I wake up on Saturday morning to the smell of bacon, eggs and toast. I jump out of bed and quickly pull on my pyjama top that I had discarded on the floor beside my bed last night.

I run downstairs to find my mother at the cooker and Dad and Piko at the dining table, playing cards. I sit down across from Piko and fold my arms, leaning my head on them, watching their riveting game.

"Have any... threes?"

"Go fish. Any tens?"

"Goddamit, take 'em."

See? Riveting.

Piko notices me and grins while forking over a handful of cards to Dad. "Hey, Lenners. Lenka and Rinto are going over to the station to examine some evidence so I said I'd keep you entertained. How bout you, me, Miki and your little friend head out to the mall for awhile?" he asks, using Mom and Dad's real names. He decided at 19 he was too old to be calling his parents 'Mom' and 'Dad' and started calling them by their first names.

"My little friend? Are you talking about Miku?" Piko and Miku always got along quiet well. Miku always wanted a brother like Piko and Piko likes being worshipped. They have a strange relationship.

"No, no, no- Got any twos?- the one you're doing the project with." He pauses to think and grab a card from the deck. When he manages to think of a name, his eyes light up and he grins. "Rin! Rin Kagamine!"

"What?!" I look at him like he has ten heads. "Rin?! No, no, no! We don't get along very well and, besides, she'll probably be doing something with her _friends_," I say, stressing friends to try and get the point across that I am not one of them.

"Why not, dear?" Mom interjects from the cooker. "Piko was telling us about Miss Kagamine yesterday. She seems like a lovely girl!"

I remember that when I came back from snooping around her house, Piko was at the door and Rin was smiling widely. Piko could probably take a wild, vicious beast and turn it into a cuddly animal that would giggle whenever he talked. I, however, do not possess that skill and tend to judge people too quickly, get mad too easily and just yell. Just... just yell.

"Go on, Len," Dad says, grinning. Great, when Dad joins in, it's a battle I've lost. Three against one and they're all smiling at me like hyenas.

I throw my hands up in the air in defeat. "Fine. Fine! You freakin' win..."

Piko chuckles and slaps my back with his free hand. "Li'l bro, you know I never lose."

...

"For Gods sake, Lenny! Man up and just ask her!"

I'm currently in the back of Piko's car, in front of Rin's apartment. Miki has joined Piko's quest on forcing me to ask Rin to accompany us to the mall. In fact, she's currently yelling at me to get out of the car, man up and ask her. I don't see her asking Piko to do it.

Piko shoots me a pleading look; as much as he loves Miki, he doesn't like being around when she sets her mind to something. I don't either so, to shut her up, I get out of the car and slam the door loudly. Miki hears and stops yelling at me, instead starts clapping happily.

I walk up to the intercom and press the little bell. As I wait for Rin to answer, I shove my hands in my pockets and pray that she's not there. Rin's popular, she could be with Meiko or Gumi or Haku or Mikuo or all four! She could be-

"Who is it?"

Crap, she's here. "U-Um... It's me, can I come up?"

There's a sigh and the intercom goes off. I'm going to take that as a yes and open the door, entering the building. I run up the four flights of stairs and walk over to Rin's door. I knock lightly on it and lean against the wall gasping for air. Maybe running wasn't the best choice...

The door opens and I stand up quickly to face a puzzled Rin. Her hair is down and four clips hold back her hair. She's wearing a white t-shirt and jeans, like she was yesterday. I don't know whether they're the same pair or different and I don't want to ask.

"Did you leave your copy or pen or something?" asks Rin, still puzzled as to why someone who has clearly told her their feelings towards her is standing at her door, awkwardly shuffling from foot to foot.

"N-no... Why aren't you out with your friends?" I ask, genuinly curious.

Rin scoffs and that bitter smile graces her face. "Friends, schmiends. The silly bitches don't know a thing about me. I never hang out on the weekends. You saw my wardrobe; I don't own anything beside my school uniform and bunches of white shirts and jeans. Think I can hang out with them wearing this?"

I nod, trying to avoid the reason I'm here. I know that if I go down and tell Piko she didn't want to come, he'll march up here and drag her down.

"You never told me why you're here," Rin accuses. No getting out of this. Goddamn you Piko!

"Well, uh, P-Piko wants me to ask you... Do you want to come to the mall with us?"

Rin raises an eyebrow but can't hide the look of shock. "Piko wants you to ask me? Does that mean you don't want me to, Utatane?" she asks, smirking at how flustered I am.

"Y-ye- No! I mean... I don't know..." I groan to myself, cursing Piko under my breath. I look up to see Rin smiling. Not a cold, bitter one. Not a flirty, sly one. A shy, gentle one.

"I know you hate me, Utatane, but thanks. Thanks for asking. And I think I'll accept."

I stare at her with wide eyes and my mouth half-open. Rin chuckles to herself and walks into the hallway, closing the door behind me. She starts to walk down the stairs but stops, turning back and giving me a tiny grin.

"I always wanted friends like you. I see how close you are with your friends and I always get jealous. My friends only like me for my outside. But this is the path I've chosen and I guess I'm gonna have to stick it out. I have my reasons though..."

With that she begins to run down the stairs, yelling at me to keep up.

**Thank you to reviewers:**

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**Please check out my new RinxLen fic called iNSaNiTY. I'd really appreciate it!**


	6. The Shopping Spree

**Chapter 6**

When we sit down in the car, Miki turns to Rin and offers her a sweet smile. Rin blushes and looks down, fiddling with her hands.

"Heya, sweetie. I'm Miki, Piko's girlfriend," Miki says nicely. Rin smiles shyly back.

"H-Hi Miki," she says softly. I'm watching this whole exchange with my mouth open. Why isn't Rin this shy around me?! Albeit, I don't think I introduced myself by saying 'Heya, sweetie.' I think it was more along the lines of 'Look, I don't want to work with you. I don't want to have anything to do with you. But I have no choice.' Aren't I are freaking charmer?

"So, Rin-Rin, you okay coming to the mall with us? If your not, you let me know and I'll pull over and let you out faster than you can say 'Let me out you freaks!'" Okay, now this is just being mean! Piko's never that nice to me! He's not even that nice to Miku! Hell, he's not even that nice to freaking Miki! This is not fair!

Rin sits on the edge of her seat, stroking the leather seats and gazing out the window. A looked of amazement spreads across her face as we pass out of the poor part of town into the town centre. Piko drives through the traffic, getting yelled at by many drivers and Miki. When he eventually finds a parking spot and gets out, I have to check if I'm still alive.

"What the hell, Piko?! Are you trying to kill us?!" Miki yells, getting out of the car. She begins lecturing Piko on the rules of the road and I stand behind her, mimicking her actions in a much more exaggerated fashion. I make sure Piko could see me over her shoulder. He can and groans, knowing he shouldn't laugh when Miki's lecturing him. She puts one hand on her hip and points her finger directly in her face. I do the same and that's when Piko starts to laugh. I look at him in shock.

"Seriously? _That's _the one that got you?"

Miki glares at me and Piko, while Piko doubles over laughing. "That's the one that got me because I don't think you've ever looked more gay! Even when you played a girl in your 3rd grade play!"

I go as red as a tomato and hear Rin giggling behind me. "I'm sure you made a fabulous girl, Lennykins," she says, sneering.

Piko looks up, tears of laughter streaming down his face. "He did! Oh my god, when he came out, I actually thought he was a girl!"

Rin inspects me closely and grins. "You know, you are a very femine boy, Utatane."

"Okay, shut up!" I scowl and beginning marching off behind Miki. Rin and Piko follow us, still laughing. Miki turns to me, smiling.

"Now you wish you hadn't been mocking me?" she asks in a teasing tone. Even Miki has turned on me! I mumble a few curses and continue following her, my hands jammed deep in my pockets.

Outside the mall, Miki and Piko turn to Rin and I. "Okay children," Piko says, grinning. I can tell he loves being the man in charge. "I'm gonna go off and have a gander with Miki, you two stick together. You got money li'l bro?"

I flash my wallet at him and he nods approvingly. Then, taking hold of Miki's hand, he walks off, leaving me with Rin. I turn to look at her but she is anywhere but on planet earth. Her eyes are huge as she stares at the humongus building. I wave a hand in front of her face, trying to bring her back into reality.

"Oh, sorry." Rin blushes a little, realising she must have spend at least 3 minutes in La-La Land. I roll my eyes and walk inside.

We walk inside and Rin is back off dreaming again. Her eyes go from the cafe, to the shops, to the large fountain and up to the ceiling. I think she may start twirling her arms around and start singing about what a wonderful life it is so I grab her arm and shake her.

"Come on, knock it off," I mumble. Rin glares a little but looks away. Her eyebrows furrow and she focuses her sight on the fountain. She tugs at my sleeve and points to a group of people.

"Hey Len. Aren't those your friends?"

I follow her finger and see Luka, Kaito, Miku and Gakupo sitting at the water fountain. Miku is laughing at something Gakupo said while he grins stupidly. Kaito is eating ice-cream (what did you expect?) and Luka is talking to him. I know he's not listening because he's just nodding absentmindedly. Seeing them makes me confused so I flip out my phone and check my messages.

**6 New Messages.  
3 Missed Calls.**

I scan through them quickly. They're all from Kaito, Luka, Gakupo and Miku. "Shit," I mumble. Rin shoots me a confused glance. I grab her arm and drag her into the nearest store, which happens to be a women's clothes store. Miku would kill me if she sees that I'm here with Rin. There wouldn't be any point of trying to explain it was all Piko, Miku wouldn't buy it.

I let out a sigh and turn to Rin, only to see that she's not there. Rin is, instead, flicking through a railing of jeans. She takes out a pair of shorts and gasps at the price, quickly putting them back on the rack. I walk over to her.

"Can you believe the price of these?!" Rin exclaims, picking up the price tag to show me. "1970 yen*?! That's ridiculous!"

I clear my throat awkwardly. "Uh, Rin? That's actually quite cheap for most people..."

Rin glares at me, her face growing cold and distance. "Well, I ain't 'most people', am I Utatane?"

I don't answer her and glance back at the shorts. Rin feels them, looking longingly at the price tag, as if it will suddenly change price. I groan and take out my wallet, checking how much money I have. It's not loads but it's enough.

"Hey Rin? Say, hypothetically, you were going to pick out two outfits from this store, which ones would you choose?"

Rin gives me a strange look but stands up and begins browsing through the clothes. I count the money in my wallet again and hope she doesn't decide to dress up like the Queen of England.

"Hey Len?" I hear her ask from across the shop. "How much hypothetical money have I got?"

Checking my wallet, I call out, "14470 yen*... But you want lunch too!"

After about 15 minutes, my legs get tired so I take a seat on the window sill. I flick through the messages my friends sent me. They're all basically the same. The first four are 'You wanna join us at the mal at around 2?' and the last two (from Miku and Gakupo) are 'Herro? Anyone home?' The phone calls are all from Miku, just asking the same questions, then complaining that she didn't get a reply and then she got really angry. I snap the phone shut and sigh audibly. Rin's still not ready. Remind me never to go shopping with a girl again.

"Okay Len, I picked out two hypothetical outfits."

I walk over to where Rin is, in front of the dressing rooms. Laid out in front of me are two outfits. One of them consists of the black shorts she was looking at earlier, a white tank top and black boots. The other is a gray, woolen dress, purple tights and grey ugg-boots.

Rin smiles, looking at the clothes with soft eyes. They do look much finer then jeans, worn-out trainers and a white t-shirt. She goes to gather the clothes up and put them away but I stop her quickly.

"I-It's okay, I'll do it. Why don't you go have a look in Game-Stop across the way." I point to the video game store across from the one we're in. Rin gives me another weird look but nods and skips over to Game-Stop. I gather the clothes up quickly and bring them to the check-out. I pay quickly (They only cost 9840*, so I still have 4630* left) and leave the shop, swinging the shopping bag in my hand.

When I reach the shop, Rin is looking at the 3DS games. She picks up one game, takes one look at the price and drops it like it was on fire. I walk over and shove the bag in her hand.

"Here," I mutter.

Rin's eyebrows furrow in confusion and she opens the bag. Her eyes grow wide and she gasps, but looks up at me quickly, a glare etched on her face.

"What the hell, Len? Why'd you buy these?" she asks, her voice close to yelling.

I roll my eyes and put one fist on my hip. "Come on. Don't tell me you didn't suspect something with the whole 'hypothetical' talk?"

She sighs. "Of course I did but I didn't think you'd actually buy them! I can't pay you back idiot, unless you wanna wait a couple of decades!"

"I'm not expecting you to pay back! Think of it as any apology gift for being so rude."

Rin looks in the bag and takes out the grey wollen dress, her eyes growing soft. I shove my hands in my pockets and mutter, "Thought maybe you could hang out with your friends if you had other clothes."

Rin looks up at me, both confusion and gratitude on her face. Eventually she sighs, puts the dress back in the bag and smiles up at me. "Thanks, I guess," she says. She looks off into the distance before looking back with a grin.

"You're a real idiot, Utatane," she says with a grin, her eyes sparkling with happiness and mischief. Then she turns and begins to leave the shop.

"Come on, we need to get some hypothetical lunch!" Rin calls over her shoulder.

**1st (*) 1970 yen - $20**

**2nd (*) 14470 yen - $150**

**3rd (*) 9840 yen - $100**

**4th (*) 4630 - $50**

**Thank you to reviews:**

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	7. The Mysteries of Rin

**Chapter 7**

I follow Rin out of the game shop. She keeps glancing down at the bag in her hands, mulling over something in her head. She suddenly stops, causing me (who wasn't paying attention) to crash into her.

"The hell?!" I snap, rubbing my nose.

"You should have watched where you were going," Rin hisses back. She grows silent and looks around her. The shopping centre is packed with people pushing pass, trying to get their shopping done. "W-Where's the bathroom?" Rin asks. I can't help but notice how pale she's gone.

"It's there," I say, pointing to the bathroom. Rin looks over there lazily and starts to walk but trips over her own feet and falls into someone. I manage catch her before she goes down.

"Hey Kagamine, you okay? You're not looking too great..." Rin's face has passed pale and gone into the category of 'ghost-like'. She goes to pry my hand off of her arm but, once she does, she falls on the ground again. I mutter a curse under my breath and grab her arm again, pushing through the crowds of people, pulling Rin behind me.

Rin drags her feet but she's the size of a twig and in no state to put up a fight. I can hear her mumbling a name under her breath. She looks like she's about to vomit. I reach the bathroom and fling the door open, pulling her in too. Yeah, I just entered the girls bathroom.

Two women are applying make-up at the sink and gasp in disgust when they see me but their eyes soften when Rin staggers in behind me. I push her to the sink, turn on the tap and splash water on her face.

"Your girlfriend doesn't look so good, is she okay?" one of the women ask. I ignore the fact that she called Rin my girlfriend and gently sit Rin down. She tilts her head back, trembling. I lean down beside her and take hold of her shoulders

"Rin?" I call out, shaking her. Rin doesn't hear me and she suddenly lets out a whimper.

"Rin!" I shout, shaking her back and forth. Her eyes flicker open but she closes them quickly, shaking her head.

"Come on, you're being difficult," I mutter. Rin's eyes open wide and she lets a shriek.

"Rui!" she yells. Rui? Who's Rui? I'm Len, not Rui. Rin grabs onto my arm and looks at me. Her eyes are glazed over and there's something... missing. She looks like she's sleep walking.

"Rui!" she calls out again. "Have you seen Rui?" I shake her, hoping that she'll wake up because, if I'm being honest, she's beginning to scare me. Her nails are digging into my arm and she keeps darting her eyes around the place.

One of the two women (Forgot they were there) kneels down in front of Rin, smiles kindly at me and takes Rin's hand in her's. "What does Rui look like darling? We'll help you find her." No! No don't help her find 'Rui'! Just wake her up goddamit!

Rin fixes her 'gaze' onto the women. She has short black hair and kind purple eyes. "Rui..." Rin whispers. "I didn't mean to! I wanted to see the dolls and when I turned around... Rui was gone! Daddy doesn't know where she is either! I need to find..."

Suddenly, Rin jolts backwards, as if she had been electrocuted. Her eyes focus and she blinks. Her eyes go from her hand, to the women holding it, to me, back to her hand.

"Shit..." she mutters. She shoves the woman's hand away and runs into a cubicle. I look back to apologise for Rin's behaviour but the woman waves it off, smiling.

"Don't worry about; She's going through a hard time. You take care of her okay?" With that she beckons her friend and they leave together. I stand up, brushing off my jeans. What the hell just happened?

Rin emerges out of the cubicle fifteen minutes after, wearing the grey dress I had bought for her. She walks up to the sink and splashes her face with water. She picks up the bag and tries to breeze past me but I grab her arm and yank her back. She gives me a fierce glare but I give her a scarier one.

"You don't think I'm going to let you just breeze past me without getting an explanation? What happened? Who's Rui? Why did you just black-out on me?"

Rin pulls her arm back in a quick, swift motion and narrows her eyes. "None of your business, Utatane." With that she walks out, letting the bathroom door slam in my face. I follow her quickly but, by the time I get out, I can't see her. She's lost among the sea of people. I push past the crowds trying to get a glimpse of any blonde hair. She could have fainted again! Unfortuantly, there are too many blonde haired girls. I glance around and catch sight of a blonde wearing a grey dress in the cafe. I weave through the crowd and catch up to her.

Rin is staring at the menu. Her mouth is watering and she gazes longingly at the list of food. I grab her arm, and pull her out of the way of other customers.

"Don't... run off... on me..." I gasp between breaths. She nods absentmindedly and looks back at the menu.

"I wanted to get something to eat but... I don't have any money," admits Rin sheepishly. I let out an exasperated sigh and get into the que, pulling out the remainder of my money.

"What do you want?" I ask. Rin points at the ham and cheese toasted sandwich. I nod and buy it, along with a scone for me. We sit down at a table in the corner. Rin gobbles up her food quickly and sits back in the chair, patting her stomach.

"I... uh... Th-thanks for today, I guess. Y-You know I won't be able to pay you back, right?"

I nod, shoving another piece of the scone into my mouth. Rin adverts her gaze staring out into the crowd. She sighs and stares back at her hands.

"Rin! Len!"

A familiar voice pulls both of us out of our thoughts and we see Piko and Miki running towards us, hand-in-hand. Rin offers them a weak smile while I give a toothy grin.

"Well come on," says Piko, taking both mine and Rin's hands and pulling us to our feet. "We must depart now. We'll drop Rin, then Miki and then we'll head home. That okay, li'l bro?"

I nod and follow him out to the car. Every now and again, I take a glance at Rin, who is fiddling with her dress. She stares down at her new boots and shuffles around in them. A sad smile comes to her face and she lets out a sigh.

The car ride to Rin's house is slow and painful. Well, Piko and Miki are chatting away to each other, with the occasional question thrown at us. Rin looks put the window, a far-off look in her eyes. I sit silently, counting the number of pedestrains we pass.

Finally, Piko pulls to a stop outside Rin's house. Rin unbuckles her belt all to eagerly, and jumps out of the car.

"Thanks Piko, nice to meet you Miki, and see you Monday Len," she calls back before grabbing her shopping bag.

"Wait! I'll walk up to the flat with you!" I yell quickly. Before anyone can protest, I'm out of the car and beside Rin. I'm not letting her go home until she explains what happened today.

We walk to her flat in silence until we reach the door. Rin opens it, goes in and mutters a quick goodbye before going to shut the door. I stick my foot inbetween the door and doorframe just in time. Rin gives me a quick glare and goes to shut the door again but I'm stronger.

"What happened today?!" I demand. Rin opens the door fully, anger clearly expressed on her face.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she spits.

"You sure as hell do! You blacked-out and started yelling about someone called Rui. I want to know why, Rin Kagamine!"

"Why do you want to know?"

Those six words leave me speechless. I'm unable to find my tongue and stare at her, mouth half-open. Why do I want to know?

Rin gives me a cruel, bitter smile. "See? You don't know why you want to know, you're just being curious. It's none of your business Len, you're not my boyfriend or a friend and you sure as fuck don't care about me so stop acting like you do!" With those words, she slams the door in my face and locks it. I stand there, my hands balled into fists and a fiery glare targeted on the door.

"You're right Rin. I don't give two fucks about you!" I yell before spinning on my heel and walking away.

**Thank you to reviewers:**

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